1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for firmly grasping a fish by its mouth. Specifically, the device uses a pair of locking pincers to grasp a lip of a fish so that it may be removed from the water without being touched directly by a person's hands.
2. Prior Art
Fishing is one of the oldest arts in the world and has been continuously developed and improved over the past several millennia. When a fish is caught on a fishing hook, they are difficult to handle because they squirm and are very slippery. Many different devices have been developed for pulling a fish out of the water and for holding a fish while the hook is removed from its mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 674,865 issued to Harrington on May 28, 1901 discloses a device which is adapted to be secured to a hitching-strap and which will automatically grip upon a post or other similar object and be locked in engagement therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,643,151 issued to Zupancic on Jun. 23, 1953 discloses a device in the nature of a pliers particularly for use by fishermen for holding a fish while removing fish hooks from such fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,703 issued to Talley on May 23, 1972 discloses hand tongs especially for use by an angler for easy, safe and quick handling of the fish following their hooking and reeling-in by the angler.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,833 issued to Aucoin on Jan. 14, 1986 discloses fish holding pliers having longitudinally curved jaws with well rounded transversely extending grooves providing broad teeth having rounded surfaces to engage and hold a fish without seriously injuring the fish or piercing the scales or skin of the fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,386 issued to Hare on Nov. 4, 1986 discloses a method of orienting a fish using a pair of tine members and a pair of jaw members. The pair of tine members are simultaneously inserted into the respective gills of a fish, entering the gills from outside the fish. The jaw members are clamped around the torso of the fish directly below the fish's gills and at an acute angle with respect to the path of insertion of the tine members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,482 issued to Gerdes on Feb. 13, 1990 discloses a modified hemostat adapted to be used as a multipurpose fishing tool has a clamping section, a fulcrum and handles. The clamping section has a first short space proximate to the tips and a longer space proximate to flat-shaped sections adjacent the fulcrum. The spaces are on the inner surface of the clamping section and are formed by cavities in the jaws. The jaws should be designed to be in substantial contact when the hemostat is in the closed position. The unit can also have crimpers, cutters and vices on its inner surfaces. The device is intended primarily for removing a hook from a mouth of a fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,585 issued to Camp on Jun. 9, 1992 discloses a tool for more effectively gripping and handling fish which includes a generally cylindrical tubular housing defining a handle having a hand grip thereon with a pair of pivotal gripping jaws actuated by a slidable sleeve that is spring biased away from the handgrip by two light coil springs to enable the sleeve to be retracted by the use of one finger or thumb of the hand which is used to grip the handgrip in order to open the jaws. The jaws, when open, are placed over the bottom lip of the fish and the sleeve is released with the light spring causing the jaws to grip the lip of the fish in order to lift the fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,709 issued to Strini on Aug. 14, 2001 discloses a multipurpose fishing tool for tying knots comprises an improvement in a known fishing forceps by adding an annular groove around the nose of the forceps. The groove is of sufficient depth to retain a loop of fishing line, which is twisted as the forceps jaws are moved in a rotary or nutating motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,913 issued to Liao on May 13, 2003 discloses a weighing device having a tubular housing, a pair of levers pivotally securing the tubular housing and each having a jaw biased to grasp an object to be weighed and a handle for moving the jaws away from each other against a spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,505 issued to Poiencot on Jun. 3, 2003 discloses an apparatus for holding a fish including fish grasping tongs having jaws at the distal end thereof for placement on the inside and outside of the mouth of a fish, and a hollow case for slidably receiving the fish grasping tongs, the case being adapted to force the tongs to close together as the distal end of the tongs is drawn toward the case.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,124 issued to Miller on Aug. 5, 2003 discloses a fish holder featuring a shortened handle section and teeth lining the entire length of the jaws of the holder is disclosed. The teeth in the jaws provide multiple points of contact against a fish, thereby enhancing control and grip on the fish. The disclosed invention may be constructed of two convex jaws or a combination of one convex jaw and one concave jaw. Teeth may also be arranged in a plurality of rows extending the length of the jaws. Use of the invention prevents contact with sharp body parts of the fish, such as teeth or spines.
The patents described above disclose a variety of structures used to grasp fish by the lip, the body or the gills. They also disclose a variety of handles. However, none of the disclosed handles are ergonomically suitable for moving a fish into various positions. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is often necessary to rotate or otherwise move the fish into various positions.
It is therefore desirable to provide a fish gripping device having an ergonomic handle designed to easily manipulate the positioning of the fish.
It is also desirable to provide an ergonomic fish gripping tool wherein the handle and fish being held are readily manipulated by the operator's thumb only.